In case you missed it on our homepage or Facebook update, this past Monday we announced our Fall round of new Bicycle Friendly Communities! We are excited to add 15 new Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) and three renewing BFCs.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released its estimate of the amount spent (obligated) on bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs in FY 2009 -- and at $1.2 billion, its a record high.

The League has been busy following several issues on Capitol Hill ranging from livable communities to the many complexities of the Transportation Bill and transportation funding. Below is a summary of what is on our radar and their recent developments.

As we reported earlier, according to the US Census Bureau’s 2008 American Community Survey (ACS), released on September 22, 2009, 0.55 percent of Americans use a bicycle as the primary means of getting to work.

Last Wednesday, September 30, the current federal surface transportation law SAFETEA-LU was set to expire. In order to prevent a halt in transportation spending and allow time for the Senate to debate a 3-month extension for SAFETEA-LU, Congress added a one-month continuing resolution (CR) to a last minute legislative branch appropriations bill.

Through the new Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) grant program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will award $373 million to 30 to 40 communities throughout the country to reduce obesity and tobacco use.